SAJAN SS... Silent Nights... Part 9A upd... - Page 4

St. Francis's Church... A very beautiful church on one of the peak point of Darjeeling...

Gunjan used to visit this place often with her mother... But that was long time back, she was a child then... Her mother was a true devotee and paid a regular visit in that church every Sunday, without fail...

But Gunjan had always loved this church because of its scenic beauty... The green hills all covered with floating mists on the cloudy days and snowy mountain peaks which peeped from far behind, which were only clearly visible on bright days...

The several church bells, the small ones, the mediums and the giant ones from the entrance to the main church building adorned the place... And the continuous sounds of the bells echoed over the whole place... Not to mention the various mountainous trees and flower plants decorating the whole place...

Gunjan had many loving memories of this place... And now she was standing before the same church after so many years... But this time all alone...

It was early chilled December morning and there was not a single visitor except her... The place was still the same even after so many years, yet so much changed... The snow covered bells, the trees, the foggy hills, everything was so old; but now they seem so new to her...

Gunjan started walking towards the church building... On her way she rang one of the bells; the sound of which echoed over the place, just like the old days...

Slowly she climbed the church stairs... It felt cold surrounded by the snow; her body shivered under the only light shawl that she had wrapped herself with, but the chilled wind welcomed her with a gentle warm feeling...

Feelings of love and care, feelings of being at home...

The prayer hall of the church where Mother Mary stood with baby Jesus in her arms, where she once used to pray for every silly thing, and now after so many years she only wished to get those days back...

If only for once she wished she could go back to that night which had changed everything...

"Pari"... A voice called out loud, out of nowhere...

Gunjan jerked her head up; her eyes wide open... Who could that be?? No one but her family calls her by that name... She turned back to find a pretty girl of 14 or so stood before her, smiling at her...

A bright smile glowed on her face recognising the girl... She was looking bright and charming in her white top and denim capri and jacket and a white crown hat...

"Dia", she called out fondly...

Off course, who else can be this crazy to surprise her in this way!!... Gunjan stretched out her right hand towards her, "What are you doing there??" She asked... "I was waiting for you so long... Come here and let us first do our prayer together"...

"But I don't want to pray right now, I've already prayed earlier, now I want to run around just like old days"... Dia pouted...

"We can't do that here; it's not safe running around here... If Maa come to know then she won't let you come here again"... Gunjan explained with concern...

Dia nodded in denial and took a step back smiling mischievously...

Gunjan frowned at her and took a few step towards her at which Dia giggled and started running out of the prayer hall; and away from her...

"Stop, Dia"... Gunjan shouted and ran after her...

But Dia started running all over the place laughing while Gunjan all worried pursued her... She was running all around the church, the several arched bell stand, and the pine and birch tree forest surrounding the church and encircling the church building...

"Come on Pari, catch me if you can"... Dia shouted playfully and ran faster towards the view point edge when it happened...